Gangwon Office of Education Holds Best Practices Sharing Session for 'Better Small School Curriculum Branding'

Gangwon Office of Education Pursues "Smaller Yet More Attractive Schools"
Strong Response to Sharing Best Practices in Distinctive School Curricula

The Gangwon Provincial Office of Education (Superintendent Shin Kyungho) held the 2025 'Better Small School Curriculum Branding' Best Practices Sharing Session on November 21 at the auditorium of the Wonju Climate Change Response Education Research Center.

A view of Gangwon Provincial Office of Education. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Office of Education

This event was organized to strengthen the educational capabilities of small schools and to establish a sustainable foundation for mutual growth between schools and local communities, aiming for "smaller yet more attractive schools" even in an era of declining school-age populations.

The event was designed to share the achievements of the 'Better Small School' curriculum branding project, which is being implemented for middle schools with 60 or fewer students enrolled as of 2025, and to spread outstanding examples.

More than 50 participants attended the event, including administrators and teachers from schools running the small school curriculum branding project, teachers from schools in the province with 60 or fewer students, and other interested education professionals, to discuss the future direction of small school education together.

The main program featured a special lecture by a professional consultant on "Future Education Directions and Small School Curriculum Operation Strategies in Response to the Decline in School-Age Population," presenting the way forward for small schools in this era. In the subsequent best practices sharing session, three outstanding cases of branding curricula that highlighted regional characteristics were presented, receiving a positive response.

The presentations included: △Imge Middle School's "Living and Loving the Baekdudaegan Curriculum," which incorporates the nature and culture of the Baekdudaegan mountain range; △Gonggeun Middle School's "Carbon Neutrality Practice Project by Bicycle," which raised environmental awareness in connection with the local community; and △Bangsan Middle School's "Becoming a Bangsan White Porcelain Artisan Project," which inherited and developed the region's traditional culture. These examples showcased the potential of small schools and provided successful models of community-linked education.

Kim Seongrae, Director of Secondary Education, stated, "Through this sharing session, we were able to actively exchange best practices from small schools and enhance teachers' abilities in curriculum planning and branding," adding, "We will continue to expand the value of small school curriculum branding to create an educational environment that satisfies the entire educational community and consistently strive to enhance the sustainability of both schools and local communities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.